Eric took the long way home, trying to sort out his many confused thoughts on the events of the night before.
'Do I love Rachel?' he thought but knew, with a sinking feeling that it wasn't love that drove his desires.
'Lust?' He hated the thought of it, Eric Mathews using a woman to satisfy his sexual needs. But, Eric was a man;a normal, healthy, breathing, sexually thinking male. He knew with out needing to think twice that he had used Rachel. He had taken advantage of her in her slightly drunken state. Unable to handle this side of himself, he pulled off to the side of the road and cried.
'God damn it' he thought 'what have I done?' Feelings of guilt and selflothing washed over him. 'so, just run away like Jack' the little voice in the back of his mind said.
"No, I'm not leaving Rach just like Jack left us," he said outloud to the air as a new determination filled him as he started the car.
******
When Eric arrived home, he found the apartment the same as it always was except that Rachel wasn't doing her Saturday morning straighting of the place.
"Rach?" Eric called as he peeked in to her bedroom. He found her, sleeping peacefully.
"Sorry, I'm so sorry for everything," he whispered as he heard the phone ring in the living room.
Quietly shutting Rachel's door he walked out and picked up the phone.
"Hello?"
"Hey Eric, it's Shawn."
"What's up?"
"Listen, Topanga has just gone into labor, Cory would've called ya but he's freeken out right now at the hospital."
"Oh awesome!"
"Ummm, she's at St. Mary's, can ya come?"
"Yeah, sure," Eric replied, quickly writing down the phone number and the directions.
"I'll be there soon," Eric said, "just as soon as I wake up Rach."
"Man take your time, she's only 2 centimeters dialated, we'll be here for a while."
"Alright, tell Core to hang in there for me," he paused and added, "an tell Pangas that the duckies are with her."
"Alright man," Shawn said and chuckled.
Eric hung up the phone, just as Rachel opened the door to her room, "Hey, what are you so happy about?"
"Pangers has gone into labor," Eric retorted, "Shawn just called and asked us to come to the hospital; but, if you don't wanna go..."
Rachel stopped him with a soft kiss wich Eric pulled away from, "Just let me get a shower," Rachel said.
"Cool," Eric replied.
"How far along is she?" Rachel asked as she undressed in the bathroom.
"Shawn said something like 2 centimeters."
"Oh, we have a while," Rachel retorted before turning on the shower and stepping in. Eric sighed and sat on the couch, his head in his hands. 'I'll talk to her later' he thought as he waited for Rachel to get ready.
Eric, Rachel and Shawn sat in the waiting room of the hospital, waiting for Cory. Rachel and Eric had arived twenty minutes before and hadn't seen Cory yet.
"So Shawn," Eric said, braking the silence between them, "any word from Jack?"
"Nah man," Shawn said as he sighed, "I haven't heard a thing; I'm getting worried. Jack's never run off like this," Shawn retorted 'I'm the one that runs away' Shawn thought.
"What could make him leave, just like that?" Eric inquired
"Most likely me," Rachel quietly said, as she glanced up from the magazine she had been skimming.
"Rach, don't say that," Eric assured her as he placed an arm around her.
Before answering, she pulled back, "Eric, I broke up with him the night before he left."
"It's still not your falt," Eric retorted.
"Hey guys!" Cory said, as he emmerged from around the corner.
"Cor, how she doing," Shawn asked.
"She cussed, hit, and yelled at me to get the mother fucking hell out of the room," Cory retorted.
"Followed by, you aren't ever going to touch me again you bastart," Rachel finished as Cory nodded.
Cory turned to his best friend, "You get ahold of Angela?"
"Not yet," Shawn replied, "maybe she's out after all, London's five hours ahead, it's about seven thirty over there."
"Oh yeah," Cory said.
"Ummm, you guys want to go get something to eat," Rachel inquired as she stood up.
"Sounds good!" Shawn replied, standing as well and handing Rachel her purse.
"Sorry guys, I wanna stay by my wife," Cory exclaimed as he smiled, "Even though she's only three centimeters now and will most likely scream her head off."
"Wow," Rachel remarked, "she's not even in active labor, that's when its going to get really bad."
"How do you know?"
"I grew up in Texas, two of my high school friends had kids by the time they graduated," Rachel said as she headed toward the exit.
"Want me to stay with ya Cor?" Eric asked.
"No, go ahead."
"Tell Pangers to hang in there."
"Thanks," Cory said, then walked back towards his wife's room as Eric followed the others out of the hospital.